Suction cleaner



Nov. 3 1925. 1,560,400

.1. R. 'VANDER PUTTEN SUCT I ON CLEANER Filed Feb. 24. 1921 Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. VANDER PUTTEN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

WISE-MoCI-UNG COMPANY, I|IMITED, OF NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO, A PARTNER- SHIP ASSOCIATION OF OHIO.

SUCTION CLEANER.

Application filed February 24, 1921. Serial No. 447,510.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. VANDER PUT- TEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suction Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to machines for cleaning carpets and floors, commonly known as vacuum cleaners in which the work is performed by air currents caused by suction into the mouth of a tool, commonly known as the nozzle or shoe of the machine, which may be supplemented by a rotary brush servin to pick up loose threads, feathers, fabrics, and other fiufly articles.

In such machines, the cleaning mouth is usually an elongated slot or opening and may have a substantial width, with a. surrounding lip in sealing contact with the carpet so as to compel the air to pass through the carpet, or uniformly under the rim of the mouth when the same is held from contact with the carpet.

The object of the present improvement is to provide a plurality of notches or recesses in the lip of the mouth so arranged as to cause currents or sprays of air to enter the mouth at one side and at both ends of the tool, and to pass along the surface of the carpet so as to carry away the dust which has been loosened by the direct operation of the machine.

This object is attained by shaping the case of the tool or machine to form an elongated vacuum chamber, open at the bottom to form the mouth of the machine and provided with an exhaust orifice in the middle portion of its upper or rear wall through. which the air is drawn from the vacuum chamber by a centrifugal fan or other exhaust means; and by providing a wide shallow recess or notch in the middle portion of the lip of the forward wall, and relatively narrow transverse notches in the lip of the end walls of the machine, preferably near the forward cor ners thereof, so that localized air currents will be drawn into the notches from over, under and through the carpet,in,the operation of the machine when the lip of the mouth is in contact with or adjacent to the carpet or other objective surface.

When a rotary brush is employed for picking up flufity articles, the same is preferably formed in two spaced sections located in the end portions of the tool, thus leaving the middle portion opposite the wide shall-ow Similar numerals refer to similar parts.

throughout the drawings.

The case 1 of the machine is shaped to form the shallow cylindr'ic fan chamber 2 above," and the transversely elongated vacuum chamber 3 below the forward side, of the fan chamber, there being an orifice 4 in the intervening wall 5, for exhausting air from the vacuum chamber into the fan chamber through the converging channel 6 formed by the flattened funnel shaped wall 7, the fan being driven by an electric motor 8 mounted on the case of the machine and the fan chamber being provided with.the usual outlet 9 leading to a dust bag or the like not shown.

The walls of the vacuum chamber termin-ate below in the lip 10 bounding the mouth of the tool or machine which lip is shaped to come into contact with a carpet or floor, or to be uniformly adjacent thereto so that a. slight lifting of a carpet or rug by the suction of the machine will bring it into contact with the lip of .the mouth; whereupon the strong suction 'of the machine draws cleaning currents of air from under and through the carpet.

The shallow recess or notch 11 is formed in the lip of the forward wall of the machine, which notch is preferablymade of considerable width so as to permit the sidewise passage of matches, hair pins, tooth picks and other comparatively long articles; and the strong suction through the oppositely located exhaust orifice, acts to create a positive air current through this notch swee in along the surface of the carpet withm t e nozzle.

A transverse notch 12 is provided in the lip of each end wall of the machine, preferably at the forward wall thereof, which notches ma be comparatively narrow, and are adap to receive endwise the same kind of refuse, and to draw dust and dirt from cracks and corners of the floor and base board; and the positive suction of air through the centrally located exhaust orifice,

creates-strong and laterally localized drafts collecting bag.

A rotary brush'13, may be provided in the vacuum chamber so that its bristles will .operate on the carpet or floor, and this brush may be automatically operated by a traction wheel 14, a belt or band 15 and a pulley 16 on the end of the axle rod 17 of the brush. The bristles of this brush are preferably located in the end g portions only of the vacuum chamber, leaving the middle portion unobstructed for the free passage of the air current flowing through the notch 11; and it is evident that the air currents. flowihg through the end notches 12 will keep the corresponding end section of the brush free of dust and all detachable refuse, thus automatically cleaning the brush during the operation of the machine.

The use of a centrifugal fan or like exhausting means serves to maintain a constant suction through the mouth of the machine, and when the same is applied to a carpet or other fabric, the parts and the power are so proportioned that in addition to the cleaning air which is drawn from under and throu h the carpet, locally intensified currents o cleaning air are drawn through the notches along and over the surfaces of the carpet within the mouth of the machine, and by carrying all the dust and refuse immediately to and through the exhaust orifice,

"prevents the formation of quiescent air pockets in theend portion of the nozzle and the consequent settling of dust and refuse therein.

In operating the cleaner along the base- .board or in slmilar places, the locally intensified air currents, created through the end notches, tends to thoroughly sweep the surface of the carpet or floor adjacent to the baseboard, and by locating the end notches adjacent to the front wall of the mouth, it will be evident that all dust and dirt may be removed from corners of the room by operating the cleaner close to the baseboard and into the corners.

I claim A suction cleaner casing forming a vacuum chamber having an elongated mouth with a narrow lip surrounding the same for contacting with carpets and the like and means for drawing cleaning currents from under and through the same; there being a central exhaust orifice leadin from the chamber and transverse notches in the lip at the ends and adjacent the front wall of the mouth causing locally intensified air currents to enter through the notches and to pass over and along the surface of the carpet from the ends toward the middle of the chamber for drawing refuse into the ends of the mouth and sweeping the surface of the carpet within the same.

JOHN R. VANDER PUTTEN.. 

